I Cannot Bear To Love You
by Uxiegirl
Summary: Just another fanfic about Ciaran raising Morgan, but this one is different, I swear. This one is really good. Give it a try, and I will not disappoint. Rated T just in case. Fanfic is based on In This Life by Mss. Kennedy and Dark Path by x.isabel.
1. Waiting

**Right. ****Completely overused, completely boring, but completely and utterly wonderful if done right. I am determined to do it right.**

HPOV

As I stood, waiting in the trees, watching the warm family picnic before me, I realized that to the McEwans, all of this must have felt right, must have been natural. Their idea of light magick must have been as utterly repulsing as my idea of dark. Except that light magick never hurt a thing, never killed anyone.

I watched as the daughter of the famous Ciaran McEwan sat laughing in the sun, Cal Blaire's arm wrapped around her shoulders. They made me even sicker than Ciaran, even. They repulsed me. How could they be so happy with each other while I stood here, watching in the dark trees silently, all alone, without a girlfriend, without a friend, without a prayer?

Nobody but my cousin cared even an ounce for me.

My job was harder than it sounded: get as much information about Morgan McEwan as possible. So far all I got was that she and Cal loved to exchange spit.

They kissed when Cal stopped by to pick up Morgan to bring to the picnic. They kissed in Morgan's room for a while. Then they kissed in a parking lot on the way, and now there they were, looking at each other as if they couldn't wait to continue their attempts at getting a cold. It made me want to throw up.

As Morgan and Cal put grapes in each other's mouths, Iona glared at them–she was a disgusting brat, too fat and cruel to get a boyfriend of her own–and Kyle was off practicing spells. Killian didn't show up for the heartwarming reunion, apparently he didn't like his father's lifestyle. Gee, I wonder why, I thought dryly to myself.

I couldn't watch this anymore. With a clenched jaw, I turned and stomped loudly into the woods, not even bothering to keep quiet.

**Okay, if you've gotten this far, I love you. Just kidding. (Or am I?) I would really appreciate it if you would leave a review for me, but I realize this might not be of your convenience and you may not have time to do so, and besides, nobody ever does it anyway.**

**But if you do, I will jump up and down like a giddy schoolgirl. (That's a sight to see.)**

**So, to follow this statement, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	2. Walk Through The Trees

**Well, here we go. Roll the clip.**

MPOV

My world was absolutely and utterly perfect. My soul mate was here by my side, and I was with my family that loved me unconditionally. Except for Iona. I couldn't think of one place I would rather be.

Cal whispered in my ear, his brown hair draping across his face as he leaned in, "Let's get out here."

A big, goofy grin spread across my face, and I nodded eagerly. This was the only place I would rather be than here, I thought to myself happily.

"Please excuse us," I said politely to Iona and Kyle, and together Cal and I rose elegantly and disappeared into the thick forest to be alone.

HPOV

As I ran, I struggled to keep the tears back in my green eyes. Why did this bother me so much? I mean, nobody had ever proven that either Morgan or Cal had done anything wrong.

I knew I shouldn't hold a grudge against them just because I had never had that kind of happiness. Just because they had their life set out for them–betrothed at birth, deeply in love, both powerful witches.

Eventually I stopped, out of breath, and I leaned against a tree as I struggled to pull myself together–or at least get enough air to keep running. I felt like crying, but I didn't know why. I just wanted to get away from here, call Kennett and tell him I couldn't do this.

It didn't make sense to break down now.

MPOV

"Where are we going?" I asked Cal playfully.

"Somewhere special," Cal replied, grinning almost as wide as me.

We walked on through the trees, light shining down between the leaves in places and other times the floor was covered with shadows. It was perfection; Cal's golden face beside me, his starry teeth as bright as the moon on a crystal-clear night.

"Okay," he said after a while, stopping at a completely random spot in the forest. "Wait here."

Cal disappeared into the trees as I stood there, waiting for him to return. I missed him already, even though he'd only been gone for five seconds.

I heard a rustling in the leaves, but I saw nothing, so my mind dismissed it as a squirrel or bird. But my instincts told me to go investigate, and I walked softly through the brush to see what had made the noise.

HPOV

I slid down to the ground and sat with my back to the tree, deciding that I had gone far enough. I leaned my head against the big, brown trunk, looking up at the leaves against the sky. How peaceful it looked, how serene. If only the world could be as beautiful and simple as leaves swaying in the breeze.

I heard a soft gasp, so quiet that I wouldn't have heard it if I wasn't a witch. My head spun toward the direction of the noise, surprised that anyone would find me in the middle of nowhere.

It was Morgan, her tall, thin body standing erect, her beautiful brown eyes wide in surprise, her long, brown hair falling gracefully down her back.

I scrambled to my feet, my eyes not leaving hers. What was she doing here? How had she found me? I stood there, staring at her, my expression mirroring hers. I couldn't speak, and I could tell she couldn't either. The light glanced off her face, making it clear how beautiful she was.

A breeze blew, making Morgan's hair lift ever so slightly. There wasn't a sound except for our breathing and the cool, summer air.

With no warning, she sprang for me, running towards me as fast as she could, her hair flying behind her like a cape. Instinctively I dodged, jumping for the branches of the tree I had just been leaning against. I let myself fall, and I spun around to face my opponent.

Morgan began to mutter a spell; one that I knew would make me helpless. I knew I couldn't let that happen, so I quickly shot out the strongest binding spell I knew.

Morgan stiffened; her arms clung to her sides, her legs snapped together. She glared at me with hatred that I was quicker than her, and for a moment I was stricken.

She was not as beautiful as some. She was far from a model, her body a basic stick figure. She was tall, about five seven, and she wore no make-up. But Morgan didn't need it.

Ignoring her agonizing gaze, I hauled the Amyranth princess over to the tree that was becoming famous. I propped her against it and gave a sigh.

"Okay," I began. "I don't want to have to do this, you know, but I suppose it's better than using a braigh. And I guess it would be good to exchange a few words, don't you think?"

She just glared at me, unable to do anything other. Once again I ignored it and continued as nonchalantly as I could.

"Now, I'm not blaming you of anything, Morgan. Understand that. It's just that you don't hang out with the best of crowds." I stole a glance at her, but it turned into a double-take, and then my gaze just settled on hers. "I don't want you to get hurt, Morgan," I said gently. "I don't want anyone to get hurt here. So please, watch your step with your family and Cal's. They live for deceiving people. Don't make the worst mistake of your life. Please."

I stared at her for a moment to make sure she got my intentions. I looked into those beautiful brown eyes as they softened ever so slowly, gradually admitting surrender.

I couldn't help getting a closer look at them. I leaned in, ever so slowly, to get a better look at Morgan's eyes. The temptation was irresistible, like magick. I had a fleeting thought that it was, in fact, a spell; a rouse of Morgan's to get me to let her go. But it didn't matter. Once I began, I couldn't stop, and soon my lips were pressed against hers.

**Okay, this was a long chapter. I think…**

**Thank you for reviewing, ****llrandomNESSll****, ****Swept-away-Emma****, and ****nightwatchman707****. And I'd like to make a note about my first reviewer of this story, an anonymous reviewer. She said that I shouldn't write this story because it was boring, and that I should take it off before someone gets bored to tears.**

**Isn't that sweet?**

**For your information, I know this is a completely overused topic. That's why I waited, like, four months to get the nerve to put it up, and I don't appreciate somebody telling me that this will bore someone to tears. We all have the right to write our own version of a completely overused topic, like singers can remix a classic song. And, evidently, you were wrong, because this fic has gotten the most reviewers I've ever had for a Sweep fic.**

**Even though Giomanapped got 9 reviews, they were only by two people. This has four, including the anonymous one.**

**Anyway, I also respect this anonymous reviewer, as everyone is entitled to their opinion. And if they get bored with fics about Morgan being raised by Ciaran, that's fine. I don't know why they would read them then, but it's fine.**

**Okay, this message is, like, a third the length of the story, so I'm going to head out now and start to work on the third chapter. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	3. Uninvited Kiss

**Despite my obvious frustration with that anonymous reviewer, let's just forget that and move on with the cliffy chapter, okay? Works for me.**

MPOV

His lips pushed against mine, first gently, then hungrily. I had no control, bound by his magick. Was a Seeker supposed to take advantage of his abilities? Or was the scum we call the Council so scattered that they didn't even care?

But maybe this guy wasn't even a Seeker. Maybe he was actually on the run from the council, pretending to be a Seeker just to stay out of the line of fire. He probably didn't even have a braigh.

He disgusted me.

Yet he seemed completely honest when he'd told me to watch out for myself. His eyes had seemed to see right through me, taking me in like cool, green water. But it didn't cancel out the rage I felt at him as he continued to kiss me.

But it wasn't so bad, I guess. It actually felt kind of nice, almost better than when Cal kissed me. Part of me wished I was free so I could kiss him back; part of me wished I was free so I could kick his ass. **(Pardon my French.)**

Suddenly he pushed himself away, staring at me with wide eyes of surprise. His mouth was agape, and he looked dumbstruck. The rat didn't even have control over himself!

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean…"

I just looked at him with hatred.

Seeming at a loss for words, he paced for a little bit, running his hands through his hair in frustration. I didn't attempt to break free of the binding spell; though I knew I could whenever I wanted to. I just watched him as he beat himself up about his mess-up, taking pleasure out of his pain.

"Morgan?" I heard Cal call through the trees, searching for me. Like a wild animal reacting to headlights, the Seeker I didn't even know for sure was real spun his head toward the sound, looked in that direction for a moment, then ran away as fast as he could through the underbrush.

HPOV

I sprinted away from there as fast as I make my grasshopper-like legs go. How could I have let that happen? My whole life was about control, and I decided to finally make a slip on _Morgan MacEwan_?

I ran all the way to the car Sky and I were renting, which was several miles away from where I had been with Morgan. There Sky was waiting, loyal and reliable, and I knocked on the passenger door's window.

Sky, who had fallen asleep, heard the noise and woke up. Her eyes like onyx opened wide at the sight of me tapping on the window with urgency, and she quickly unlocked the door and let me in.

"What happened?" she asked me, probably fearing the worst as only we could.

"Just drive," I gasped, out of breath from running for so long.

Sky tore up the road as we sped away, knowing that it must have been something serious. The speedometer climbed, reaching about eighty miles per hour. It still wasn't fast enough.

MPOV

As the mysterious blonde Seeker disappeared, his binding spell went with him, and I was free. But I was still as motionless as when the binding spell was on me, and even when Cal emerged through the brush, I still gazed at the spot where the Seeker once stood.

"Is everything okay?" my murin beatha dans asked me. I nodded, my eyes still glued to the spot.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Everything's fantastic."

**Heh-heh. Pretty short, isn't it? Or is it? I don't really know, you know. I just write it.**

**Now, I don't know why this story is what I would call a hit, though most would call it a complete and utter failure. Maybe it's the overused topic, maybe it's because I claimed it was different. Who knows? Who cares?**


	4. Beat Myself Up

**I'm just glad to win every review I can, so even if this story is already finished and you're going through your favorite fics or something, review anyway. Please?**

MPOV

"Where did you go?" Cal asked me asked we strolled along through the trees.

"Just to check out a strange sound," I said vaguely. As much as the Seeker bothered me, I didn't want to bring Cal into this mess. He just warned me, that was all. That and kissed me, but…

I knew the Seeker didn't mean any harm. I was actually a little touched. But I didn't want Cal going all Jackie Chen on him **(Forgive me if I misspelled that)** and I wanted to deal with it myself, as the daughter of the famous Ciaran MacEwan.

"It was just a squirrel," I added. Cal didn't say anything, but I knew he doubted my answer. Nobody kept their eyes glued on a squirrel for twenty minutes.

After a time we came upon a big tree. It stretched up to the sky, seeming to have no top. In its big, thick branches was a tree house, waiting for us to climb inside and spend all day there, with nothing but each other. It looked like the most romantic thing I'd ever seen–ten times more romantic than the Seeker slamming me into a tree.

I never wanted to leave that beautiful place, for it was the best place I'd ever seen, and Cal and I spent the rest of the day there. But as twilight approached, Iona and Kyle trudged through the woods calling our names, and we had to leave.

"Can we go back tomorrow?" I asked Cal as we stepped away from the best place I'd seen in my life.

"I'm afraid not," he said sadly. "I have some errands to run tomorrow."

"Can I go with you?" I asked quickly. The memories of the Seeker flooded back in one instant, and I couldn't stand the thought of him coming back. Cal grinned.

"We'll see," he said. Cal obviously thought that I couldn't stand to be away from him, rather than stand to be near the Seeker. I wasn't going to burst his bubble. Cal lived for his bubble.

HPOV

"I can't believe you ruined your Seeker reputation over a girl," Sky said angrily. "She's not even that pretty! Why are boys such _pigs_?"

"Sky!" I shouted. "Give me a break! I don't like this any more than you do! And I don't care about my stupid Seeker reputation!"

"All right, all right," Sky muttered. "Don't get your knickers in a twist."

We were in the house we had rented for the time being in Widows Vale. It was a quiet place with the cheapest décor we could find. I didn't get paid much for being a Seeker, and we still barely scraped by even though Sky got a job at the record store.

We didn't have a television, as we hardly had enough time to sleep, and at that moment we were sitting on the couch. Sky was being helpful enough to make myself feel even worse about today.

At least it saved me energy.

"What are we going to do?" I groaned. "Morgan's never going to listen to me now!"

"It's strange, cousin," Sky said slowly. "I always thought you were the suffer-in-silence type."

"Not funny, Sky," I said darkly.

"No, it's just that you've never…" she trailed off. "Forget it. Never mind." I gritted my teeth and held back my anger.

"Well, she knows I'm there now," I said as calmly as I could. I could tell Sky was struggling to keep from rolling her eyes. But I continued anyway. "How am I supposed to gather information on her when she's altering her every move?"

"You'll find a way," Sky assured me. We sat in silence for several moments.

"She probably thinks I'm a big jerk, doesn't she?" I said.

"Hunter, even _I_ think you're a big jerk right now," Sky said. I glared at her disapprovingly. "Seriously, Hunter," Sky sighed. "What was going through that mind of yours?"

"I don't know," I groaned. "Look, let's just forget about it, all right?" Sky shrugged.

"Okay," she said, getting up. "I'm going to bed."

I nodded. "Okay," I said, but I was staring into the fireplace as a flickering flame burned. I swore I could see Morgan's beautiful brown eyes in the blaze.

MPOV

"Good night, Morgan," said Iona, but by her gaze I could tell she really wanted me to have nightmares.

"Sweet dreams," I replied anyway. With a smirk, Iona left the room to stay in the guest room. Soon she'd be off again, doing whatever it was that Iona does.

"G'night, sis," Kyle called as he left the room as well.

I settled down into my queen-sized bed and closed my eyes, the Seeker's face under the lids.

**You know, if I were smart, I'd drag this out. I really would. But I can't help myself! Ugh!**


	5. Dreams

**Sometimes I disgust myself with how irresistible writing is. Why must I be cursed with an alluring urge to write?**

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

MPOV

_His eyes were as green as the sea, and his hair was like corn silk. His face was pale and clear of any blemishes. He was tall and lean, and his face projected strength._

_He stood before me, around nineteen, without a single flaw, looking at me with a guarded expression._

_I opened my mouth to speak to him, to demand that he tell me who he really was and what he was doing, but before I got out a single word, the Seeker began to shrink._

_He contracted and grew younger, shorter, more innocent. His face grew rounder, and his guarded expression began to have a hint of fear, though it was still cautious and distrusting._

_Now the Seeker was about eight years old, looking at me with the same green eyes it always had, the same self-righteous expression. But he was smaller than me, very wiry, and I could easily beat this little boy in any competition._

_But as I stared into his eyes, I knew that I wouldn't be able to hurt this little boy. I knew that he was hiding something even then, just like I knew he would still be hiding something a decade later._

_"Morgan," he said. His voice echoed through the room. "How could you do this to me, Morgan? How could you ruin my life?"_

_"What are you talking about?" I asked the boy._

_"Don't play dumb, Morgan," said the boy. "You know what you did. I will never, ever forgive you."_

I woke up sweaty and clammy, thinking of the strange Seeker as I lay in bed panting, wondering what my dream meant and what I had done to him until I slipped into a shaky sleep, filled with nothing but black.

HPOV

_"Hunter," I spun around to find my arch-nemesis, Cal Blaire. He stood nonchalantly in the sunlight, several yards away. He stood there looking like an angel, just like he always did. He grinned at me cockily, as if he knew that he had made the best of me._

_"What do you want?"_

_Cal laughed, showing me the column of his throat. I wanted nothing more than to run over there and start choking him, but I figured I should see what he said first. "What could I possibly want, Giomanach?" he said. "I've got a family, friends, my whole future ahead of me, and the daughter of Ciaran McEwan. The pretty one."_

_"So you came here to taunt me?"_

_"Pretty much," he said with a shrug. "But then again, I guess I should warn you, too."_

_"Warn me about what?" I asked him dryly, boredom showing in my voice._

_"Oh, just that you're in way over your head," he said nonchalantly, taking a look at his nails. "And Morgan's mine. She'll kill you if you don't back off, you know."_

_"I don't care," I said. "I'm a Seeker. It's my job to save people."_

_"Oh, right. You're a pawn for the council now. How's that working out for you? Is it particularly pleasant?"_

_I scowled. "It's my job, Cal. So you can go along home now."_

_Cal let out a big, barking laugh. It sent shivers down my spine, followed by a wave of anger. "Oh, Giomanach," he laughed. "That was my plan all along. I will go home. But, my dear brother, you will not. Goodbye, Hunter. Have fun."_

_And then he was gone. The sun that had been shining down on my half-brother was gone as well, and I was surrounded by darkness._

_I wandered around in the darkness, but with no avail. Panic began to rise in me, despite my efforts at remaining calm like I always do._

_I fell on my knees in hopelessness, and I called out for help, though I knew I would receive none. I heard Cal's laugh from nowhere in particular, and I knew that he was laughing at me, and soon, Morgan would be laughing with him._

I woke up with a fright, sitting up in my bed. I looked around at the unfamiliar walls that I had just moved into and called my own for the time being. They were boring and bland, just like me.

I settled back into the bed despite my dream, and all I had to do was picture Morgan's beautiful face to calm down enough to slip back into a restless sleep.

**Okay, so there you go. Dreams. Hope you liked them, because the next chapter is reality.**


	6. Reality

**Okay. Here we go. Reality.**

MPOV

I trailed along behind Cal like a lonely puppy dog as we walked around Red Kill, a small remote town north of Widows Vale. There was a magick store there that held a lot of supplies, and it was the most obvious place to get supplies.

The shop's name was Practical Magick, and it had the Wiccan pendant all around it – the star with the circle around it. Inside it was cozy and warm and very, very magickal, and I loved it.

"Hello," a woman said to me with an honest smile on her face. "I'm Alyce. Do you need any help?"

"Erm…no, thanks. But my boyfriend does, right?" I looked to my sexy boyfriend. He nodded.

"Um…yeah. Can you help me find a couple things?"

"Of course," Alyce said with a sweet smile that I knew wasn't fake. "What do you need?"

Cal wandered off with Alyce, leaving me alone. For once, I didn't mind. I was in my happy place, surrounded by books, almost as if I were a Rowanwand.

I smiled at the thought. As a Woodbane, Rowanwands were my enemy. They were so self-righteous in their 'mission' of learning all they could. It all seemed over exaggerated to me.

I wondered, for half a second, if the Seeker was a Rowanwand, but I forced the thought out of my mind. It wasn't any of my business what the Seeker was. Besides, I didn't want to know.

At the counter was a man that looked only thirty, yet his hair was completely gray. He watched me with dark, brown eyes, almost as if he hated me. He watched me as I moved about the store, until finally he approached me and said quietly, "Are you…Morgan MacEwan?"

I nodded, not looking at him.

"I want you to be careful, okay?" he breathed. "There's somebody I think you should meet. He's a friend of mine, and he doesn't know you're here."

"I have a boyfriend," I said.

"Oh, I know," the man said quickly. "This isn't…for a date. It's just…he's interesting."

I nodded. "I think I'll pass," I said.

The man shrugged. "Okay," he said. "Let me know if you change your mind." He walked away and disappeared behind a red curtain.

HPOV

David reappeared, looking grave, though I didn't know why.

"Sorry I took so long, Hunter," he said. "I had to watch the counter for a while."

"I understand," I said. "So what do you think I should do?"

"Well, Hunter, the way I see it, she could very well be putting a spell on you," David explained. I held back my anger and tried to listen to the wise shop-keeper I'd met a few years back on an earlier mission. "But, she could also not be. Nothing is ever certain, after all."

"What should I do?" I asked again, hoping he wasn't going to tell me I should figure it out for myself. I didn't have the sanity to do that.

"Keep watching her, Hunter," David said after a while. "She seems to have…promise."

"You've seen her?"

David didn't reply. The grave look deepened, and he didn't look at me. "David, what –" The red curtain was slowly lifted as none other than Morgan MacEwan stepped into the room.

MPOV

I stopped, frozen in my tracks. I couldn't resist the temptation of the red curtain, and I decided it couldn't hurt to check out the clerk's friend. I assumed they were around the same age, and that the clerk's friend was a powerful witch. But instead, none other than the mysterious Seeker from the day before sat at the round table in the room.

He looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep; there were dark bags beneath his eyes. His clear, green eyes were wide with surprise and astonishment as he stared at me fixedly. His mouth was agape, as if he wanted to gasp but couldn't get the air in, and his entire body was tight.

"W-what are you doing here?" I said, too surprised to act collected.

"Me?" his voice squeaked. "David's my friend. I come here all the time. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Um…_David_," I shot a look at the clerk, "said he wanted me to meet his friend. Is this him?"

"Yes," David said quietly; his voice was rough. "This is him. I'll…just be going now."

"David!" the Seeker shouted after the clerk as he disappeared. Regretfully his eyes went back to me, slowly, as if it almost hurt him. "Morgan…" he grimaced. "Fancy seeing you again."

"Who are you?" I demanded, recovering from my shock. "What do you want?"

"I told you; I'm a Seeker. I'm supposed to keep an eye on you. Is that alright?" he said dryly. He knew it wasn't alright.

"You're too young to be a Seeker," I said. "Besides, if you were, you'd have better control of yourself." The Seeker tightened even more.

"I have excellent control of myself," he growled. "I've been working on self-control since I was eight."

_Eight…_ a little voice in my head said. _Like in your dream…_

"Well, you're obviously still not good at it," I said.

"Look, Morgan," his voice was low and dangerous. "I don't know why I kissed you, okay? I've never, ever done anything like that before in my life. If I had, don't you think I'd be dead by now?"

"If you kept kissing powerful witches' daughters, you would," I muttered. The Seeker groaned, leaning back his head so that it faced the ceiling.

"Come on, Niall, _focus_," he murmured to himself. He looked at me again with a sigh. "Morgan, give me another chance and I will not disappoint you," he said.

He looked at me with those green eyes of his, this time focused instead of vulnerable. He wasn't about to slip up again; I could tell. Still, I didn't know what to say.

"Morgan?" The Seeker's head snapped to the red curtain, shock again taking over his face, as Cal Blaire stepped through. "Are you al-" he broke off, catching sight of the Seeker. He swore under his breath. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" the Seeker shot back.

"I told you, get the hell out of my life," Cal snapped. Wait – they knew each other? How?

"Hey, you're not my mission this time. It just so happens that you show up. So, basically, _you_ are in _my_ life."

"Oh, sure, I'll believe that," Cal said sarcastically.

"You know, that bubble of yours has gotten way too big," the Seeker said coolly.

"Hey, I don't care how big my bubble is, as long as _you're _not in it," Cal shot back. The Seeker rolled his eyes.

Wait…rolled his eyes?! Were they…bickering?

"Cal, who is this guy?" I asked him.

"He's _leaving_," Cal said angrily.

The Seeker chuckled. "You should know I'm not that easy to get rid of, Cal," he said.

"Unfortunately," Cal muttered.

"Okay, who the hell are you, anyway?" I asked the Seeker, fed up by my lack of knowledge.

"I'm Hunter," the Seeker said at last, looking at me straightly. "Hunter Niall. I'd shake your hand, but I'm afraid he'll attack me if I do." There was clear sarcasm in his voice.

"Hey, why don't you just go back to where you came from, you little –"

"Oh, why should I, Cal?" Hunter interrupted. "Why should I? Because I'll ruin your little charade here if I don't?" Charade?

"No, I just figured if you limited yourself to where you've already been, nobody else will have to see you," Cal sneered.

"Oh, yeah, sure, we wouldn't want them to see terrible little me, now would we?"

"All right, shut up!" I hollered. "Come on, Cal. Let's go."

Hunter gave a little wave. "I'll see you later, Morgan," he called as we left. I could just sense the amount of rage coming off of Cal, and I wondered how anybody could hate even a Seeker that much.

**Okay! I apologize; it's been a month since I've updated, but at least I gave you this, right?**

**-Cricket cricket-**

**Um…review!!!!!!!!**


	7. I Can Do It

**Okay, thanks SO SO SO much to Rosabell and **spazzysassyangel **for reviewing! Even anonymously is welcome, people. Every single review I get is treasured so much.**

MPOV

"Has he been bothering you, Morgan?" Cal demanded angrily as I drove as fast from Red Kill as possible. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," I said irritably; I didn't want to tell Cal anything about Hunter, I wanted _him _to tell _me_. "How do you know him?"

"I met him a couple months ago. He investigated my mom and me." I couldn't help thinking there was something he wasn't saying.

"Why do you hate him so much?" There was no enthusiasm in my voice; I knew I couldn't pull it off, and I didn't look at Cal, either.

"Hate is such a strong word…"

I rolled my eyes. "Why do you extremely dislike him?"

"Well, he's a Seeker, Morgan."

"Cal, I'm not an idiot. I can tell it's more than that. Did you get in a fight with him?"

"Sort of…"

"Why? What did he do?"

Cal was silent for a moment. "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered after a while.

"Fine," I said as nonchalantly as I could. "If you don't want to tell me…"

Cal's head snapped to me. "What?" he demanded. "What're you going to do?"

I swore mentally. He knew me so well. I pulled the car over, deciding we'd gone far enough, turned to Cal and said as gently as I could, "Cal, look," he just stared at me. "I'm seventeen. I think I can handle Hunter Niall."

"Oh, please don't say what I think you will," he muttered.

My eyes narrowed impatiently. "I'm going to get rid of him," I said testily. "My way. I'm going to lure him in, invite him to the house, and let Ciaran do what he has to."

"You know I think that sounds wonderful," Cal said darkly. "Except that it's you. How far are you going to go? And what if he catches you, takes you to the council? I can't bear the thought –"

"Calm down, Cal," I interrupted, calming him down. "It's okay – I'll be fine. As for how far? As far as it takes! Don't worry; I know my limits."

"But Morgan –"

"I'll be fine," I said again. "Now, come on. There's nothing left to say, and I've got more people to tell about this guy."

……………………………………………………………………....

"What?!" Ciaran, my father, shouted. "A Seeker?"

"Not just any Seeker," I added. "A young one. The youngest one I've ever seen! He can't he older than twenty."

"We have to do something," Ciaran fretted, pacing back and forth. "We have to…kill him or something. He's too much of a threat."

"I can do it," I piped up eagerly. "Oh, please, Daddy, please! I've already met him, and I'm sure I'll have him in no time!" Well, that wasn't necessarily true. I was pretty sure he hated me right now, and it may take me a while to completely earn his trust. But I was sure it wouldn't be too hard. He _had_ kissed me, and I was positive that wasn't a Seeker trick. That meant he liked me. It wouldn't be hard at all.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Overprotective father. How original.

I nodded, determined. "I'm positive," I said.

Ciaran hesitated. "Okay," he said at last. "If this is what you really want…"

"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" I cried, wrapping my hands around his neck. "I promise not to disappoint you!" And I ran off before he could say another word.

**All right! Again, thanks for reviewing!!!!!!**


	8. Following Me

**Okay, it gets interesting around here. We bring in more Hunter/Morgan relations.**

"So," Iona's snotty, conceited voice came from my doorway; my head snapped up to look at her. "I hear my baby sister's finally growing up."

I blushed and looked down; I was never fully comfortable around Iona. "Oh…" I said quietly. "You mean the Seeker?"

"Of course I mean the Seeker," Iona snapped, stepping into my room and closing the door behind her. She hurried to my side as if she held a precious secret. "I suggest wearing fragrant scents and maybe a little make-up. Men _love _that stuff."

"Oh…er…" I was silent for a moment, thinking of what to say. "Thanks, Iona," I said at last with a charismatic smile. "But since it's my first time, I'm thinking I should do this my own way. I'll be fine without any of that. But it's a really nice offer, Iona. I'll be sure to keep it at hand."

She scowled, but left the room.

I put aside my BOS with a sigh and turned out the light, and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

_All I saw was Hunter, standing there in the middle of nowhere, shouting, "Morgan! Morgan!" I could see panic etched on his face as looked around wildly. He was lost, I knew, but I didn't know how._

_I wanted to go to him, to tell him everything I could ever say to him. That I hated him, that I wished he would go away, that he deserved everything he got…that I was here and everything was alright now._

_But I couldn't move, and soon I saw a wolf closing in on the young Seeker. Hunter backed up, but there was nowhere to run. He didn't stand a chance against a vicious killer like the wolf._

_But he tried anyway. He ran as fast as his long legs could let him, fear engraved on his face. He tripped, and the wolf leaped for him…_

_Thankfully, the scene was blanked out, and all I saw was Hunter's face as he whispered faintly, his last words, "Morgan…"_

I woke up, gasping and choking, covered in cold sweat. I looked around the room until I recognized where I was, the image of Hunter's face in my mind.

………………………………………………………………………

The next day, Iona and I went Seeker-seeking. Iona was going to be my 'tutor' in the matter, to make sure I was doing everything right and didn't say anything I shouldn't. I thought it a bit overdramatic, but I guess I'd always been the favorite, though I didn't know why.

The Seeker was harder to find than we thought, mostly because we had no idea where to look. The first place we looked was Practical Magick, but the clerk named David wasn't there. Then we searched all around town, both Red Kill and Widows Vale. But we came up empty.

Finally, Iona sighed. "Alright, I give up," she said.

"I'm going to keep looking," I said softly.

Iona shrugged. "Whatever," she said. "I'll be at home. Give me a call if you find him."

"I will," I said, but I didn't think I would. I didn't want Iona breathing down my shoulder when I saw Hunter, and I didn't want her criticizing the way I did things. I didn't work the same way as her, and she would make me do things _her_ way.

We weren't that far from our house–only a block or two–and so Iona decided to walk home so I could have the car. I watched her walk away with a sigh–she really had to watch herself. She could end up really screwed up someday.

"Morgan," I heard a familiar voice–the voice I'd heard in my dreams the night before, although it said my name with a different tone of voice. I turned around and saw Hunter Niall staring at me with a guarded expression on his face. "You were looking for me?"

"Yes," I said, straightening my clothes and facing him boldly. "I wanted to talk to you."

He sighed. "I told you; I'm sorry," he said, looking exasperated.

"No," I said quickly. "It's not about that. I forgive you for that. I'm actually quite honored." Hunter raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, letting me continue. "I decided that I believe you."

"Good," said Hunter. "That makes my job a little bit easier."

That cool manner about Hunter made him very difficult to like, but I resisted the urge to lash out at him.

"So," I continued briskly. "What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

Hunter thought about that, rubbing his hand over his chin. "Well, honestly, I didn't think it would be this easy," he said, almost to himself. "But I guess you just go on like nothing happened, and–"

"I want to help you," I said abruptly.

Hunter stared at me. "Do you?"

"Yes. That's why I just said it," I said, a bit irritated. Again, Hunter thought about it.

"No," he said. I stared at him, mad at him now. "It's too dangerous."

"I'm Ciaran freakin' MacEwan's daughter!" I shrieked. "It's not too dangerous for me!"

"You don't know that," Hunter pointed out darkly. "Besides, I don't need your help."

"Yes you do," I insisted. "I can give you information."

He raised an eyebrow. "Information?" he repeated, as if he didn't believe I could. "Like the kind of shampoo Ciaran uses? If Ciaran and Selene are really up to something fishy, they wouldn't be telling you."

"Why not?"

"Because you're only sixteen," he said logically. "They wouldn't tell you until you're official part of Amyranth, and even then they'd disguise it as something good. No, you can't give me any information at all." Damn. This guy was good.

Hunter was making this very difficult, and I found myself running out of options. But I had to keep shooting. "Aren't you supposed to be following me?"

"Yes," he said coolly. "Where do you think I came from?"

"So you've been following us all day?" my voice shot up an octave.

"Yes. I had to wait until your sister left–she'd kill me, you know."

"I'm thinking about doing the same," I muttered. He looked at me curiously.

"Really?"

"You don't make this easy," I said. "This whole Be-Nice-To-The-Seeker thing. I'm trying to help you."

"And I'm trying to help you," he replied. "So we'll help each other."

"But," I added. "Neither of us needs help with anything."

Hunter gave a wry smile. "I beg to differ."

**Finally! I've got this chapter finished. Okay. Thanks to spazzysassyangel for reviewing.**


	9. You Don't Have to Pretend

**Okay! Let's see what we can whip up! Oh, in case you didn't figure it out, the last chapter was in Morgan's point of view.**

HPOV

Morgan and I walked down the road, to nowhere in particular. She looked beautiful–as usual–but I had better control now. I wasn't going to do anything irrational. I was in control. Mostly, anyway.

"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Morgan asked, looking ahead of her instead of at me. I was pretty much doing the same.

I thought about the question. She had to do _something_–she'd gotten mad when I refused her help, and I didn't want her mad at me. I didn't know why, but I just didn't.

"Well, whatever you want," I said at last. "I guess you could keep an ear out for anything suspicious."

"Isn't there anything else?" asked Morgan.

"No. Not really. You shouldn't even know I exist," I said. "If the council found out, they'd probably fire me." I bit my lip, knowing that I may well get a notice soon that would fire me, considering that I had just told Morgan MacEwan.

"I won't tell," she said, and I let out a breath of air I didn't even know I was holding.

"Thank you," I said genuinely. "This job means everything to me."

"That's a bit sad," said Morgan thoughtfully. I spun my head to look at her.

"How so?"

"Never mind," Morgan said quickly. "Forget I said anything."

"No," I said. "Tell me. What's so sad about working for the Council?"

"It's not the Council, per se," said Morgan thoughtfully. "It just seems sort of sad that a _job_ means everything. Maybe that's not true to you, but…" she trailed off, obviously worried that this would upset me.

"It's a figure of speech," I said, though I wasn't particularly sure if that was true. It wasn't _everything_–although it probably was the only thing that saved me from suicide–but sometimes it did almost feel that way. "Besides, sad or not, it's my job."

Morgan didn't say anything, but I could tell she didn't agree with me. I wasn't sure I agreed with me either, but it didn't matter. I was standing by it.

The silence lingered onward after that, and we walked in silence. It would have been awkward, normally, but it wasn't for some reason. It had something to do with Morgan, I was sure of it, that made the silence feel right. It was too soon when it was broken, by Morgan, who also looked a little regretful at breaking it.  
"Why'd you become a Seeker anyway?"

I hesitated. "It's complicated," I said at last.

"I think I can keep up," said Morgan with a smile. I smiled a twisted half-smile to myself, and let an amused chuckle escape from my throat.

"You say that now," I said.

"Well, if it's that complicated, just size it down," said Morgan, looking at me with those eyes of hers. They were big and brown and eager to learn, and it made me want to laugh again. Instead, I said,

"Well, long story short, my brother died, and it made me want to join the council," I said, saying the word 'died' so quietly, even I could hardly hear it.

"I'm sorry," said Morgan, sympathy in her eyes.

"Don't be," I said with a shrug, trying to lighten the mood. "It's not your fault."

Morgan stopped walking all of a sudden. Startled, I turned around, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no," said Morgan, shaking her head slowly as if she was dazed. "Nothing's wrong."

It didn't _look_ like nothing was wrong, but, deciding not to press her, I held my hand out to her. "Come on," I said. Her eyes held shock and fear. She reached out slowly, at a snails pace, and I kept my hand held out for her to take, letting her take her time. I would wait. I would be patient.

Her hand was almost to mine, and then she pulled back quickly. "No thanks," she said. "I'll just go home." She turned around and started walking quickly away from me.

"Hey!" I called after her. She didn't turn around. "Morgan!" She walked a little faster. "You don't have to pretend!"

MPOV

I was freaking out, and I didn't know why. For some reason, when he told me it wasn't my fault that his brother died, I got this strange feeling, like it _was_ somehow. I knew this was impossible–I'd never even seen Hunter before a few days ago, let alone his brother, so how could it be my fault?

It was the dream¸ I thought to myself. I remembered it with sickening clarity. _"You know what you did."_ But I _didn't_. That was the problem!

Hunter held out his hand. "Come on," he said. I looked at his hand with surprise. I was really scared now–did he think I'd killed his brother? Was he going to make me admit it? Did he already know what I was trying to do? Was this a trap?

I slowly stretched out my hand towards his. I had to go on, didn't I? My father would find me, if nothing else. I wasn't in any _real_ danger. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to take the Seeker's hand.

I pulled my own back quickly, as if there was an electric field around his hand. Hurt filled his eyes as I said, "No thanks. I'll just go home." I turned and hurried back the way I came, towards the huge mansion that was my house.

"Hey!" Hunter called. "Morgan!" Uh-oh, I thought worriedly. Was he mad? Was he going to come after me? I heard his voice, clear with his British accent. He didn't sound angry, he didn't sound suspicious; he sounded like he understood. "You don't have to pretend!"

HPOV

"You're getting in way over your head," said Sky softly. "What do you think you're going to accomplish with this?"

"I don't know, Sky," I said with a sigh. "But you should've seen her. She wouldn't even take my hand."

"Do you think it's Ciaran?" Sky asked, looking astounded. "Would he really do something like…?"

"I don't see why not," I said. "He's an evil mastermind."

"So what do you plan on doing about that?" said Sky; the perfect living conscious. "Do you really think you can _save_ this girl? From her _father_?"

"Maybe," I said softly. "I do what I can, Sky. I try. Morgan has potential; you'd be an idiot to deny it. If we can make sure she's on the path of light…"

Sky shook her head. "Let someone else do it," she said. My head shot in her direction. "It's too dangerous for you. Let someone else."

"No," I said, shocked at what she was saying. "It has to be me. Everyone else is much older than her. She won't listen to them."

Sky shook her head again. "I don't like this," she said.

"You don't have to," I said, standing up from the armchair where I sat and walking to the room that, for the moment, was mine.

MPOV

I opened the front door, my face tear-stained and my lungs out of breath from running.

"Little sis," said a familiar voice.

"Killian!" I cried, running into my big brother's arms. "Why didn't you come to the picnic?"

"My flight was delayed," said Killian in his Scottish accent. "Can't say I was that disappointed, though." I broke out of his hug, nodding in understanding. Killian and Ciaran had gotten into a fight a while back, and since then, the atmosphere was always a little heated when they were in the same room. Killian, like only he could, pretended not to notice and still managed to have a good time. "Anyway," he continued on, not liking that subject. "I hear you're finally growing up."

"Oh…you mean the Seeker?" I was already getting really tired of people mentioning him.

"You don't seem too happy about him," Killian noted. Thank you, Captain Obvious, I thought dryly.

"It's nothing," I said. "I just wish people would leave me alone. Nobody interrogated Iona like this when she practically destroyed _her_ first Seeker."

"You're the favorite," Killian said simply. "Besides, this is a very important Seeker."

"How come?" I asked. "What makes him different? Because he's so young?"

"Hasn't Cal told you?" said Killian, looking confused. Before I could ask him what he meant, Ciaran came into the room.

"Morgan," he said coolly, ignoring Killian. "Did you find him?"

"Yeah," I said. "Turns out he was just waiting for Iona to leave. He was following us the whole time." Ciaran muttered something unintelligible, then said,

"What did you find out?"

"Nothing much, or very important really. Just that he became a Seeker because his brother died–is that useful?"

Ciaran considered it. "Not really," he said. "We already knew that anyway."

"_I_ didn't," I said testily. "Don't you think I should know about the Seeker before I meet him?"

"Morgan, if we told you everything we knew about the Seeker, you may not be able to act like you don't know. So it's best to keep you mostly clueless for now. You understand." I understood, but I didn't like it.

"Okay," I mumbled. I said one last thing to Killian about how I was glad he came, and then headed up to my room. I was out like a light instantly, worn out even more than I remembered.

HPOV

I lay on my bed and thought of Morgan. She was something I'd never dealt with before, and it confused me.

I was well aware that Morgan could very well be tricking me right now, luring me in until I was putty in her hands, and yet I didn't care. After all, being a Seeker was dangerous, and being one was practically signing up for death. If anyone were to put an end to me, I'd be glad it was her. That was really weird thing to say, but somehow I felt it was true.

Whatever happens, I thought to myself, I'll still be able to know that at least I tried. I always tried.

**Wow. That was a pretty long chapter, wouldn't you agree? But it also took a long time to write. Hmm. What do you know?**

**Anyway, don't get mad about that; I usually update a lot quicker on the story that's my main focus, and this is only my main focus on certain days, so it goes by slowly. If you're lucky (and if I type as fast as I most possibly can) perhaps you'll find another chapter of this story up today. **

**Anyways, thanks to spzzysassyangel and mrs edward cullenxxx for reviewing! By the way, I know there are more of you out there. Don't hold back; give me all you've got! Every word that's going through your mind ****right now**** you could put in a review! What does this remind you of? Do you like it? Hate it? Like it?**

**Or do you like it?**

**I'm kidding. (Or **_**am**_** I?)**


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